Does anyone know anything about when the eggs get fertilized? Obviously it must be before the shell of the egg forms. But how long is this before the egg is laid...a day....2 days....3 days.....??

Marie

04/14/05 12:12 pm

Tiger, I do believe I posted a while back, after I had read about EGG development that once the ovum leaves the overy, it takes as little as 24hrs in a chicken and as long as 41 hrs in a Rock pigeon.
I would inagine that the osprey's egg journey down the oviduct was probably longer but I really have no idea. I did learn from the bird biology book that the speckles and streaks occur on an egg is all due to how fast the egg is twisting and turning in one part of the oviduct before it enters the uterus. I quickly wrote something about the avian egg before I left Victoria so have it here with me now so I will post later about this incredible peice of engineering.